The Islamic State Libyan “province” has released photos from the town of Bin Jawad on the Mediterranean coast. Earlier this week, the jihadists released a statement saying they had “managed to take complete control over the coastal city.” It is likely that Abu Bakr al Baghdadi’s followers were operating in Bin Jawad for several months beforehand, but the claimed capture of the town is part of a new offensive against Libya’s oil facilities in neighboring areas.

The photos show the Islamic State’s fighters burning cigarettes in Bin Jawad. This is a common motif in the jihadists’ propaganda, as it demonstrates that their radical version of sharia law is now being implemented in the territory under their control. Indeed, that is likely the purpose of the photos: to show that the “caliphate” is in charge in Bin Jawad, Libya.

Separately, the Islamic State-linked ‘Amaq news agency has produced a short video, just over a minute long, from the coastal town. The video depicts various buildings, a market, and key roadways as being in the jihadists’ possession. Screen shots from the video can be seen below.

Photos from Bin Jawad:

Screenshots from ‘Amaq News Agency video in Bin Jawad:

Thomas Joscelyn is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Senior Editor for FDD's Long War Journal.